Foundation Year in Law
The Oxford Astrophoria Foundation Year in Law is a free, fully funded one-year programme designed for UK students with academic potential who may not meet Oxford’s standard entry requirements. This intensive course bridges the gap between school-level study and Oxford’s rigorous undergraduate Law degree, building your subject knowledge, study skills, and confidence.
Students explore core legal areas such as Criminal Law, Constitutional Law, and Roman Law, alongside developing research, essay writing, and critical thinking skills. The programme also includes the Preparation for Undergraduate Studies course, focused on academic writing, communication, and personal development through mentoring and cultural studies.
On successful completion, you will receive a Certificate in Higher Education (CertHE) and secure automatic entry into Oxford’s undergraduate Law programme, without needing to reapply. This pathway equips you with the knowledge and skills to thrive at Oxford or any leading university.
Course Overview
- UCAS code: M10F
- Entrance requirements: BBB
- Course duration: 4 years (BA)
Application Deadline
- 29 January 2025
Subject Requirements
- Required subjects: Not applicable
- Recommended subjects: Not applicable
- Helpful subjects: A subject involving essay writing
Interviews
- March 2025
Written Work
- You may be asked to submit a piece of written work
Admissions Statistics
- Places for Astrophoria Foundation Year: Up to 50
- Places for Law Foundation: Up to 8
A Typical Week
The Oxford Foundation Year in Law offers a balanced mix of structured teaching and independent study, preparing you for undergraduate-level success. On average, you will have around two hours of weekly classes, supported by tutorials where your written work is discussed in depth. Independent study plays a central role, with students expected to complete at least one essay every two weeks—sharpening legal reasoning, analytical skills, and academic writing.
The programme combines Law-specific modules with the Preparation for Undergraduate Studies course, ensuring you gain both subject expertise and transferable skills for future success. In the final term, you will complete an extended essay on a Law-related topic, allowing you to develop research, planning, and sustained argumentation skills.
Teaching is delivered through a range of methods:
Tutorials: One tutor with two students for personalised academic support.
Small classes: Around four students for interactive discussions.
Cohort sessions: Bringing together the Law group (up to eight students).
Lectures: Larger sessions with the full Foundation Year cohort of around 50 students.
Most sessions are led by expert Oxford tutors, with some taught by postgraduate researchers who bring fresh insights from their own fields. Together, this approach builds both the academic foundation and personal confidence needed to thrive at Oxford and beyond.
Course Structure
The Foundation Year in Law is divided into three academic terms, each designed to build progressively on your subject knowledge and study skills. The programme combines core legal topics with the Preparation for Undergraduate Studies course, ensuring that by the end of the year you are confident, independent, and fully prepared for undergraduate study.
Year 1
Courses:
- Introduction to the English Legal System
- Historical and Comparative Views on Law
- Preparation for Undergraduate Studies (covering General Academic Skills, Communication Skills, Society and Culture)
Assessment:
- Coursework: Essay portfolio
- Examination: Written exam
This first term provides a strong foundation, introducing you to the workings of the English legal system and placing law in its wider historical and comparative context. At the same time, you will start developing the key academic skills that will support your progress throughout the year.
Year 2
Courses:
- Law and Morality
- Law and the State
- Preparation for Undergraduate Studies (continuing with General Academic Skills, Communication Skills, Society and Culture)
Assessment:
- Coursework: Essay portfolio
- Examination: Written exam
In the second term, you will explore the philosophical and political dimensions of law, considering how legal systems interact with ideas of morality and the role of law in shaping the state. This builds your ability to engage critically with complex and abstract concepts, while continuing to strengthen your academic toolkit.
Year 3
Courses:
- Law in Focus
- Extended Essay
- Preparation for Undergraduate Studies (concluding with General Academic Skills, Communication Skills, Society and Culture)
Assessment:
- Coursework: Essay portfolio and submission of extended essay
- Examination: Written exam
The final term draws together your learning by focusing on selected areas of law in more depth. You will also complete an Extended Essay, which allows you to explore a specific legal topic of your choice in detail, demonstrating your ability to research and construct a sustained argument — a vital skill for undergraduate study.
Academic Requirements
To apply for the Astrophoria Foundation Year in Law, you need to demonstrate academic potential, even if your grades fall below the typical Oxford undergraduate entry standards. The following qualifications are accepted:
- A-levels: BBB
- Advanced Highers: BB/BBC
- International Baccalaureate (IB): 35 points (including core), with 555 at Higher Level
- BTECs:
- BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma: MMM
- BTEC Level 3 National Diploma: MM plus B at A level
- BTEC Level 3 National Subsidiary Diploma: M plus BB at A level
- Access to HE Diploma: Must be completed with all Level 3 credits achieved at Merit, plus at least B grades in any A levels taken.
- Other qualifications: Equivalent UK and international qualifications may also be considered.
Wherever possible, your results will be assessed in the context in which they were achieved, recognising that personal or educational circumstances may have influenced your performance.
Applying
All applications for the Astrophoria Foundation Year in Law must be submitted through UCAS. The application deadline is January 2025, which is later than the standard deadline for Oxford’s undergraduate degree courses (October 2024). This extended timeline ensures that applicants for the Foundation Year have sufficient opportunity to prepare their materials and confirm eligibility.
Written Work
As part of the application process, you may be asked to submit a recent piece of written work. Ideally, this should be an analytical essay or discussion that demonstrates your ability to engage with complex ideas, structure an argument, and write clearly about a subject related to Law.
- Applicants will be informed individually if written work is required.
- The submitted piece should reflect your academic ability and give tutors insight into your potential for undergraduate-level study.
Admissions Steps
The admissions process for the Foundation Year is carefully structured to ensure that all candidates have a clear understanding of the timeline. Below is a step-by-step guide:
Date | Step |
Now | Confirm that you are on track to meet the academic entry requirements outlined above. |
September 2024 | Check your eligibility for the programme and review the updated 2025 eligibility guidance. |
January 2025 | Submit your UCAS application, applying specifically for your chosen degree course with Foundation Year (e.g. Law with Foundation Year). |
February 2025 | Complete and submit the Foundation Year Additional Application Questionnaire, which will gather further details about your background and eligibility. |
March 2025 | Shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend an interview. This is a chance for tutors to assess your academic potential and motivation for the course. |
April 2025 | Offers will be sent to successful candidates. |
May 2025 | Applicants must formally respond to their offers. |
Eligibility Criteria
Admission to Oxford’s Astrophoria Foundation Year courses is based on a combination of academic potential and eligibility factors linked to socio-economic and educational disadvantage. The programme has been specifically created to support students whose circumstances may have prevented them from reaching the grades normally required for direct entry into Oxford’s undergraduate degrees.
Purpose of the Foundation Year
The Foundation Year aims to reduce the educational attainment gap that can arise due to a variety of challenges, including:
- socio-economic barriers,
- limited access to resources, or
- disruption to schooling.
By offering one year of intensive academic study, the course equips students with the subject knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to succeed at undergraduate level. Academic offers are carefully tailored to reflect the realities of these students’ experiences and the barriers they may have faced.
Who Can Apply
At present, the programme is open to:
- UK state school students who are ordinarily resident in the UK (and therefore classified with home fees status), and
- who meet both the academic requirements and the eligibility criteria for socio-economic or educational disadvantage.
Demonstrating Eligibility
Applicants will be asked to provide evidence of their circumstances as part of the application process. This is done through the Foundation Year Additional Application Questionnaire (FYAAQ).
- The questionnaire will become available via the Foundation Year webpages at the time of application.
- Applicants will be guided step-by-step through the process, with a comprehensive guide provided to ensure clarity when completing the form.
- The information collected will help Oxford understand each candidate’s personal and educational background so admissions decisions can be made fairly and in context.
Checking Your Eligibility
The eligibility criteria for Oxford’s Astrophoria Foundation Year are currently under review. Any updates or amendments will be confirmed on this page before applications open in September 2024. Applicants are strongly encouraged to revisit the eligibility guidance at that time to ensure they meet the most up-to-date requirements.
General Requirement
Applicants should normally be:
- State school educated students, who have completed the majority of their compulsory education (secondary schooling) in the UK,
- Ordinarily resident in the UK, and therefore classified as having home fees status.
To qualify, students would usually:
- meet the conditions set out in Categories 1, 2, and 3,
- or meet the single criterion listed under Category 4.
Category 1: Socio-Economic Indicators
Applicants must meet at least one of the following socio-economic measures:
- Your home postcode (the address where you spend the majority of your time) falls into POLAR4 Quintile 1, which highlights areas with lower rates of participation in higher education.
- Your home postcode falls into ACORN Categories 4, 5, or 6, which indicate more disadvantaged household groups.
- You have been eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) at any point within the last six years (commonly referred to as Ever 6 FSM).
Category 2: School or College
Applicants must also meet the following condition:
- You will have attended, for the majority of your compulsory education (typically from ages 11–18), a non-selective, state-funded UK secondary school or college.
Category 3: Individual Experience
Applicants must meet at least one of the following individual-level indicators, which reflect socio-economic disadvantage or educational disruption:
- Eligibility for Free School Meals (FSM) within the last six years (Ever 6 FSM).
- Having refugee status or humanitarian protection.
- Being the subject of a child in need plan or a child protection plan.
- Having acted as a young carer with sustained care responsibilities.
- Experiencing pregnancy or taking on parental responsibilities while in education.
- Having a medical or health condition that resulted in extended absences from school or college (more than six months).
- Belonging to a Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, Showman, or Boater
- Being a child of a military family.
- Being a service leaver or veteran.
- Living in a household with an annual income of less than £25,000.
- Experiencing the bereavement of a close family member during secondary education.
- Being an estranged student (no contact with parents or guardians).
- Becoming homeless during secondary or further education.
- Spending over one year out of formal education during secondary schooling.
- Receiving a late diagnosis of Special Educational Needs (SEN) within the past two years.
Category 4: Care Experience
Applicants who have spent any amount of time in local authority care and who have been educated in UK state schools are automatically eligible for the Foundation Year.
- If this applies to you, you do not need to meet the requirements in Categories 1, 2, or 3.
- However, you may still choose to provide additional information from those categories. Doing so allows the University to gain a fuller picture of your educational background and personal experiences.
Further Details
For more information on how these criteria are verified:
- Please refer to the 2024 Eligibility Guide for Applicants, which outlines the full process and verification methods used.
- The 2025 Eligibility Guide for Applicants will be released once the review of the eligibility criteria is complete, and before applications open in September 2024.
Fees and Funding
One of the major benefits of Oxford’s Astrophoria Foundation Year is that it is completely free of charge for admitted students.
- No course fees apply: The University of Oxford covers all tuition costs.
- Accommodation is fully funded: Students will not need to pay for housing during their Foundation Year.
- Living costs support: In addition to free tuition and accommodation, every Foundation Year student will also receive a bursary to help with day-to-day expenses such as food, study materials, and personal costs.
Because of this comprehensive financial package, most students are not expected to take out student finance during their Foundation Year. However, in order to continue to an undergraduate degree at Oxford after successfully completing the programme, you will need to apply for student finance during your Foundation Year.
Student Finance
In some circumstances, students may be advised to apply for a student loan of £0 during their Foundation Year. Doing so can allow them to access additional financial support, particularly the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA).
- The DSA provides extra help to students with disabilities, long-term health conditions, or specific learning differences.
- Applying for a £0 student loan means you can access the DSA immediately and will not need to reapply for it once you progress into the first year of your degree.
Students who are eligible for DSA and secure a place on the Foundation Year will be contacted directly by the Foundation Year Team to discuss their individual situation and available support.
Fees and Funding for Undergraduate
If you successfully complete the Foundation Year and progress to an Oxford undergraduate degree, you will then be responsible for:
- Tuition fees for your chosen course,
- Living costs, including accommodation, food, and personal expenses.
In most cases, these costs are covered by taking out student loans available through standard UK student finance arrangements.
For full details, you can visit:
- The Oxford undergraduate course pages (for subject-specific costs), or
- The University’s official Fees and Funding webpages, which provide comprehensive guidance on financial support, loans, and bursaries available to undergraduate students.
Accommodation and Support
- Guaranteed accommodation: All Foundation Year students, as well as first-year undergraduates, are guaranteed accommodation arranged by their college. This is usually with other new students (“freshers”), helping you to settle quickly into Oxford life.
- Longer-term housing: Many colleges also provide accommodation for at least one additional year, with some offering rooms for the full duration of your degree. Students can choose to remain in college or arrange private housing after their first year, sometimes to live with friends from other colleges.
- Pastoral support: College tutors are your first point of contact for academic matters, but they also provide broader advice and guidance. In addition, colleges have dedicated staff such as welfare officers who can help with practical or health concerns.
- Peer support: Current students often support new arrivals through systems like college “families” or as peer supporters trained by the University’s Counselling Service.